Support GT540 without sim card/cell radio; wifi/GPS only?

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I was thinking about getting the LG Optimus GT540 because of its low price and from what I can tell all the features I need are there. I'd like to use it without a sim card and in airplane mode (so cell standby doesn't eat the battery for no reason) but with the option to enable either GPS, WiFi or both. I don't really care if A-GPS without the "A" takes a bit longer to get a fix as long as I get one at all. From what I read it seems that some models (like Motorola: Using an Android GPS in Airplane Mode but others too: gps not working while in airplane mode - Android Help) turn off GPS when you enable airplane mode. How is the LG in that regard?

AFAIK the GT540 still comes with 1.6 when I buy it today? I'd like to be able to upgrade it to 2.1 or 2.2 and root it too. Do I need a SIM card for that? Does LG force you through an online registration, any hops I need to go through? I just want to use it as a backup internet tablet and GPS receiver after all (well, and hack a bit at the Android OS).

What about the market place? I see I need a google account, anything else? Do I need to give them credit card info if all I want is download free apps? Can I access it without a SIM card over Wifi?

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What about the market place? I see I need a google account, anything else? Do I need to give them credit card info if all I want is download free apps? Can I access it without a SIM card over Wifi?

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You just need a Google account to access the market but don't need to add a credit card unless you are buying paid apps. The free ones you can get without giving any financial information. You can access it via Wi-fi without problems. There is a few GPS Apps that allow for maps usage without internet access - Aura, DroidMaps, and Route 66 (with TomTom) recently came out with a new app as well - just need to download the maps you need before you go out.